Fender device for heated pots



y 1947. o. E. ARMSTRONG FENDER DEVICE FOR HEATED POTS Filed Dec. 24,1943' INVENTOR Ocnwm Eflnmsrnqna BY Mag ATTORNEY Patented July 1, 1947UNITED STAT-ESP? 2,423,219'- FENDER DEYIGEEFORHEAIEDQPOTS-r Octavia.Armstrong, saliiias cilif-x" Application rDecemben 24,1943,:SeriahNmfilSjZikv 3 Claims." (01. 1526;373?

The invention relates to a fender forr-apot, or the. like, which isarranged tohave its contents manually: workedwwhlle being heated with;an c mpanyi fiow -of a hot gaseousfiuidtaboutand upwardly alongw-itin anormally, tubulams stream,

Ageneral obiect'of the invention is to provide a simple and "effectivefender which is operative: to xminimize thei' danger ot burningortscaldingsa person jmanual-ly Wrking-the -contents of an ex--\ternallyjr heatedspot by:;1ocalizing and -cliverting-a hot-gasessimultaneously ;,rising from about the pot:

Another object is to provide a potvfender which protects the: inner side1 0f the: polar-rim-p01-tion.-- against mechanical damage by aneimplementbeing r used in working ath ipot contents.

Ai more specific obj eat isto providera fender of the: type described:whichis particularly adapted fore i advantageous-use :asan: attachment"for:- a.= culinary double=-boi1er; t

The invention possesses-other objects and gfa-w tures' ofadvantage,ssouiepf which; with-the: foregoing; will be lset forth orbewapparent in the-fol-w lowing. description: of; typicalembodiments.-there--;- of; and in-the -accompanying=,drawings, :inzwhichFigure :1 is-za side elevationishowing a -iencler member embodying gthe-w present invention as operatively :applied to the cookingpotseetiontof:

operative while: :heat isibeingnapplied to the pot contents ffromaheated-r water-bath in the lower: Dot. it

Figure 2 is averticalaxial -section throughdihe pot and-fenderassemblyof Figure 1.

Figure 53 is V a-partly sectional frontview of' the fendervandtheu1:rper part-of the pot whiehf mountsitv Figure 4 is aperspective viewof; the fender member, portions' of the "fenden beingbroken; away diametrically of the fender to show thesee tionsof thefender thereatr Figure 5 is a fragmentary view corresponding tothesupper portion l of -thesshowing of --Fig ure 2 and ldisclosing i amodified fendezw structure as applied .to a slightly different upper potof: a tdou-m ble lilooiler.v

As illustratinga particularly useful applicationv of my invention afenderelement 6 isshoswnin Figures. 1 to 4 inclusive asproyidediort-andi apt plied ltd the cooking pot. i1 of a culinary: doubleboilerrassemblyiin whichsaid pot has-:abottom; portion extendingrinto .awater bath18 .which is provided inenunderlying .pot 8 ,"of. the,assemblyL providedywith a shandleal 3 iextending outwardl' abutment-lI; foedirectsupper-ted engagement-on the rim 1250mm pot 9 to supportthepotq upon, the pot-.9 iwithf the-reduced-bottomiportion of the pot Jin -thewater bath- 8 kfdrreceiving cooking heat fromstheflatter.'I'hewpot 4) has an apprewciablmgreater;scliameterthansthejrportionpfrthen pot-{,1 extending-unto it; whereby to rinsurethe, fullest, possible" heat-.. .de1ivjeny from themboiliiig waten,:bath .andQthe-stammusing z-iromit about; thepoti J and it$.-C0IltntS;=: The presentpot-IIv is and more -1;O1-, less y-upwandlitherefrom andgthe bottom vote is also-provided ,with a handle By reasonof the boiling of the atenbaxtliuiipthe steam generatedin the; pOt-19escapes therefrom betweenltheiabutment-i I. of thercooking pqtqfl and?the'riml2 of thepot -9,-,and-flows upwordlz'salong!v the exposed:outside ofnthepot j! t to screateta r stream, ofsteam and 7 water:vapor=-and -heated ailencircling theipotaand normally continuingaboveit. i Also,- theeir, heatedbwthesides of the-pott provides wpartiof-wsaid. rising =,r =stream .-of. heated; gas eeussfluids a whichstream fwould also include.- any, heated air andcomb-ustionproducts;esoaptnge upwardly w from beneathsthewpot, asQirQmE-the,

burnerv G. While-the annular zoneiothot gaseous-1 fluid. thu ccreatdhasia. ppsitlive value eoppp fie the -pot toward.maintainingvthehighestpossiblet temperature in;thetpot'contents its functionless part abovethe pot:mamscaldrandfiorpbilm ,aperfl son's hand ;and.l or-:iarm.-b ii win plyin working implement =to the, pot .contentsion evenfo'rfiremovinga onreplabiriga =eoyeron thepot Ac-, cordingly; thepresent" 'fende'r delementi mes.) been designed and provided toeliminate. thevhazarddue zone paint labove sthei-potihwhilr-retaininggth,

heating nfunctiomcf the zone part oppositemsaidn pot,

For. ace0mp1ishingtlie aforesaid and other; use-,

fu1:purpesest, the feride'rllG Tfessentiallif pompris'e ai o ring'dflieunit'ifor centeredinountiri rontthew m I 4 lot the-icookingn-pot. 1"and. coopenative witfi 'the pot to provide, antinvertedltroughfarranged toin} teree'pt. the hot gaseous-stream arisingialong'lgthe;heated ipot. f.an d. to ,direct;'' the intercepted ifiiiidt iatralliinbmithe pot for 'its dischargeattiagp es,

determined and identifiable point withresfieqtato the gender, i Thepresent v fenders thus leaveswa major portion of-c the Workingspaee-abovethe pot; fr'e'e' .ot jth time w provides a; centralopeninggthrough ;@wliich pot contents may be worked by a manuallyoperated implement such as a stirrer or a spoon or a beater B of thetype indicated in Figures 1 and 2. Also, the present fender unit isformed to protect the interior of the pot I adjacent its rim [4 fromdamage by contact therewith of an implement being applied to thecontents of the pot, it being recalled that the food pots of culinarydouble boilers are frequently lined with ceramic enamels which aresubject to cracking and chipping by impact.

In the present embodiment thereof, the fender unit 6 comprises a flattop portion l6 for supported disposal upon the pot rim l4 insubstantially sealed engagement therewith and having tubular flanges oraprons l1 and I8 depending from it around its outer and inner edgesrespectively. The flange I8 is preferably provided with an inturned beadl9 at its bottom edge, and is arranged to fit within the top of the potI for centering the mounted fender on the pot. When the fender 6 ismounted on the pot top, its outer flange I! is cooperative with theopposedouter face portion of the pot side to deflnethe sides of anannular downwardly-opening space 2| about the pot and beneath the fendertop I6 for intercepting @the stream of hot gaseous fluids rising aboutthe pot during its heating, means being provided for permitting theescape of the intercepted, or trapped, said fluids fromfthe top of thespace for preventing their undue retention in the space. As particularlyshown, the fender portion l6 and the outer flange l1 and the innerflange l8 and the bead I9 comprise integrally related parts of a unitaryfender structure which may be formed by casting it, or by pressing itout of an initially flat blank of suitable sheet material.

While the discharge outlet from the space 2| may comprise an openinthrough the fender top |6 outwardly of its line of contact with asupporting pot rim M, or an opening at the top of the flange Hi, thelatter is shown and is genererally preferable. In the present fenderunit, the bottom edge of the flange I8 defines a plane which extendsobliquely downwardly from an edge point 22 of the top l6 at its underside, whereby to provide for the escape of the interceptedgaseous fluidsfrom the space 2| at and adjacent said point. This arrangement providesfor the escape of the hot fluid outwardly as well as upwardly from thefender and, by localizing the aforesaid fluid discharge, eliminates anydanger of scalding or burning temperatures above and around theremainder of the fender.

In efiect, the escape opening provided adjacent the point 22 comprises anotch extendin from the flange bottom, it being understood that theparticular design resulting from the present form of the flange l8positively indicates to a person desiring to work the pot contents as tothe pot side which is dangerous to work from as far as possible scaldingor burning from hot fluids rising about the pot is concerned, and,conversely, the zone of safety. The fender top l6 may, of course, extendas far out from the potas may be needed to insure the desired fendingoff of the hot fluids from the working space above the pot; in thepresent instance, the outside diameter of the fender is substantiallythat of the bottom pot 9.

It will now be noted that the handle |3 of the present cooking pot Iextends outwardly and upwardly from a pot point which is so close to thepot rim l4 that the flange I! must be notched out thereover to permitthe desired circumferential supporting engagement of the rim with andbeneath the fender portion It. The fender point 22 might be positionedover the handle l3 for permitting a full seating of the fender on thepot rim, but this would result in the discharge of the hot gases at andaround the handle by which the pot may be held in place while itscontents are being worked or by which it may be removed from over afire, and would therefore be unsatisfactory. Accordingly, and as shown,a handle-receiving notch 23 is preferably provided in the flange I! at apoint thereof diametrically opposite from the gas discharge point 22,said notch extending upwardly from the bottom of the flange to a highpoint thereof below the fender top It and shaped to freely-receive thehandle from its bottom; with such an arrangement, the discharge of thehot gases from the space 2| may still be assured at the point 22.

Cooking pots of culinary double boilers, and of other vessels with whichthe present fender device might be advantageously used, may have handleswhic extend upwardly through the planes of their rims so close to therims that the top of a fender such as the fender 6 may not fully restupon the rim as is required to provide the described fender operation.In such a case, and as is shown in Figure 5, the top 36 of a fenderelement 26 for mounting on a pot 21 having a handle 33 extendingobliquely upwardly and outwardly from the pot side to intersect theplane of the pot rim 34 at a point relatively close to the rim andbeyond which the fender should extend, may have its outer portion 36'stepped upwardly from its inner portion 36", with the latter top portionarranged to rest upon the rim 34 for supporting the fender thereon andbeing provided with a centering flange 38 depending from its inner edgeand having an inwardly directed bottom edge bead 39.

A flange 31 depends from the periphery of the top portion 36 to a levelbelow that of the inner top portion 36", and is cooperative with theopposed upright tubular portion 35 of the top 36 connecting its parts35' and 36" and the upper end or" the supporting pot 21 to define anannular space 4| below the top portion 36' for trapping hot gaseousfluids rising along the pot. The flange 37 corresponds in function tothe flange ll of the embodiment of Figures 1 t0 4, but difiersstructurally therefrom in having its bottom edge parallel to the fendertop portion 36" whereby the space 4| is arranged to be of uniform depththerearound. A notch 43 extends upwardly in the flange 31 to less thanits full height for freely receiving the pot handle 33 therethrough, andan opening 42 is provided through the top of the flange at a pointthereof diametrically opposite the notch 43 to provide for the dischargeof the trapped gases outwardly and upwardly from the fender solelythereat.

In view of the preceding disclosures, it willbe understood that both ofthe disclosed fender structures provide for a directed discharge of hotgaseous fluids flowing upwardly along the outside of a heated pot solelyat a predetermined point spaced laterally of the pot, whereby toeliminate the hazard of a scalding or burning by the rising fluids atother points about the pot. It will also be noted that the support ofthe fender top in line engagement with the supporting pot rim prevents aflow of the fended-off gases into the top of the pot. Since the presentfender units provide for their fluid control and fending actionsindependently of a handle on a pot mounting them, it will be obviousthat the device of present invention is applicable to pots lackingattached handles, or having handles which are so shaped and/orpositioned on the pots as to avoid any necessity of providing ahandle-receiving notch in the exterior flange or apron of the fender tobe used with them.

The inner flange in each present structure both centers the fender onthe pot mounting it and guards the inner face of the upper pot portionadjacent the rim against damage by implements, such as the illustratedbeater B, being applied in the pot The outside diameter of theinnerflange is preferably enough smaller than the average inside diameter atthe rims of pots of a particular rated size as to avoid any forciblefrictional engagement between the flange and pot during a mounting ordismounting of the fender, and thereby also provide for the freeoperative mounting of a present fender on pots having normal variationsin size and shape at their tops. It will also be noted that a usual potcover (not shown) may be applied at the interior fender opening, andthat the present fender device is operative to protect the personapplying or removing the cover.

In view of certain foregoing and other considerations, it will beunderstood that the present fender device is applicable generally topots and other vessels having hot gaseous fluids rising along theirouter sides from sources other than a liquid bath, as is particularlyillustrated. Thus, fenders embodying the features of the present devicemay be advantageously used with such vessels as cauldrons, lead-meltingpots, crucibles, and the like, arranged to have heat applied directly totheir bottoms with the hot products of combustion and accompanyingheated air flowing upwardly along their outer sides to create a burningor scalding hazard for a person working or removing their contentsduring the application of heat to the vessels. The device is, of course,applicable to heated vessels which are polygonal as well as circular inplan. Furthermore, the fending features of the device might be providedby an integral part of the pot at or below its rim, though such would begenerally impractical for a domestic culinary pot, whether part of adouble boiler or not.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the structure and use of thepresent fender device will be readily understood by those skilled in theart to which the invention appertains. While I have described thefeatures and use of an arrangement which I now consider to be apreferred embodiment of my invention, I desire to have it understoodthat the showings are primarily illustrative, and that such indicatedand other changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope ofthe following claim.

I claim:

1. In combination with an externally heated pot or the like arranged tohave a hot gaseous fluid rising along and about its sides during itsheating, a ringlike fender member comprising a top portion having aplanar part arranged to supportedly rest upon the pot rim and having itsperipheral edge spaced from its rim-engaging line, and a flange portiondepending from the outer edge of the fender top portion and cooperativewith the opposed pot side and the top portion to provide a space forreceiving said rising fluid and provided with a fluid-escape outlet at asingle point of its top, and a continuous flange portion depending fromthe inner edge of the fender top portion for its extension coaxiallywithin the pot when the fender is mounted thereon.

2. In combination with an externally heated pot or the like having ahandle extending radially outwardly from its side adjacent its rim andarranged to have a hot gaseous fluid rising along and about its sideduring its heating, a ringlike fender unit comprising a top portionhaving a planar part arranged to supportedly rest upon the pot rim andextending radially outwardly from the supporting rim to a lesserdistance than the handle of the pot, and a flange portion depending fromthe peripheral edge of the fender top portion and cooperative with theopposed pot side and the top portion to provide an inverted channelspace for intercepting the rising said fluid, said flange portion beingprovided with an opening having its highest point spaced below thefender top for freely receiving the handle while the fender is mountedon the pot and said fender being provided with a fluid-escape passageopening at a point thereof above the level of the top point of thehandle-receiving opening.

3. In combination with the upper pot of a culinary double boiler, saidpot having a handle extending radially therefrom at its top, a fenderprovided at the top of the pot and comprising a top portion extendingradially from and about the top of the pot and a flange portiondepending from the top portion outwardly of the pot and provided with aradial opening therethrough and extending as a notch from the bottom ofthe flange portion only to a top point thereof spaced below the topportion of the fender freely receiving the pot handle to extend beyondthe flange, said top portion and flange being cooperative with the potto provide an inverted channel for intercepting steam escaping from thelower pot of the double boiler and said flange portion being providedwith a fluid-escape opening above the level of said top point of thenotch.

OCTAVIA E. ARMSTRONG.

REFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,288,795 Earl July '7, 19421,698,225 Dick Jan. 8, 1929 1,708,921 Hoffman et a1. Apr. 9, 19292,079,281 Duarte May 4, 1937 1,453,278 Clifford May 1, 1923 1,622,587Housel Mar. 29, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 747,335 FranceMar. 28, 1933 778,350 France Dec. 22, 1934

